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ollege News
VOL. XVI, NO. 9
BRYN MAWR (AND WAYNE), PA., WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11,1929
PRICE, 10 CENTS
Hypotheses of Religion
Presented by Dr. Hart
Dr. Horriell Hart led the Vespers
service of the Bryn Mawr League on
Sunday, November 24. He began his
. talk by saying that aviation had gone
through three, stages in the long
Course of human culture�the mythical
stage in which magical devices as the
flyirig Arabian carpets were employed,
the metaphysical or theoretical stage
when it was imagined that a globe of
copper from wjrich the air had been
exhausted would be capable of raising
a ship, and the modern experimental
stage which is entirely objective arid
scientific. Psychology is a second
notable example of this idea which
can be applied to alt the sciences. The
"first stage was one of animistic, magi-
cal theories, in which the body was
thought to have several detachable
souls. This was followed by meta-
physics or the process of making the
facts logically consistent with the ideas
bf the psychologists. Now It is known
that scientists must go to the actual
phenomenon, observe and organize
their material carefully, and draw con-
clusions from these results.
August Comte, the father of Sociol-
ogy, 'says' that all human thought
passes through three stages. These
are the theological phase, when phe-
nomena are ascribed to the action of
spirits or other disembodied entities,
the metaphysical phase wfiiCh hypothe-
cates intellectual abstractions as the
cause of phenomena, and the. postivis-
tic or final phase. Positivism abandons
the hypothetical and is only interested
in observing and controlling "positive
phenomena. Following this theory Dr.
Harry Elmer Barnes demanded that
there be a change in the present con-
ception of God, saying that the ortho-
dox religious complex is the most
malignant complex afflicting humanity
and must be gotten rid of. Comte es-
tablished a religion of humanism which
has for its object nothing spiritual or
supernatural but the advancement of
the welfare of mankind. It is a ques-
tion whether we can have a positivistic,
humanistic religion in that sense.
One definition of religion is an en-
tering into social relations with super-
human entities, and all branches of re-
ligion are founded on this conception
of direct personal contact with a deity.
The problem is whether we are be-
traying our. loyalty to science by cred-
iting religion with our belief. Dr.
Barnes says that he believes in a god
but that man must of necessity give
up the ideas that the Bible was liter-
ally inspired, that Jesus was more-than
an ordinary man, that the human soul
survives bodily death, and that we may
enter into personal relations with our
deity. The vast abysms of space and
the spirit of the universe preclude any
such possibility. m J
Dr. Hart iaid that he proposed
CALENDAR
Friday and Saturday evenings, Decem-
ber 13 and 14:. . � - �
The Varsity* Players will present
The Second-Shepherds' Play and The
Offering of the Magi, two pld Eng-
lish miracle plays.
Monday evening, December .16: The
Abbe Dimnet will speak.
Tuesday, December 17: The Theatre
Guild will present Pgymaliatt.
New York Theatre Guild
to Present Pygmalion
On Tuesday afternoon, December 17,
the New York Theatre Guild will pre-
sent Shaw's Pygmalion in Goodhart Hall.
This will be the second event in the
Bryn Mawr Series this year.
The part of Eliza Doolittle, the flower
girl, will be played by Frieda Inescort.
Miss Inescort is the daughter of Elaine
Inescort, a well-known English actress.
She is best known for her playing in
Galsworthy's Escape, with Leslie How-
ard, and last year, as Portia in Arliss'
and Winthrop Ames' Merchant of Venice.
Dudley Digges will take the part of
Alfred Doolrttte. He came to the United
States in 1905, and became stage man-
ager for George Arliss. Previous to that
he had been a founder of the Irish Na-
tional Theatre which later became the
famous Abbey Theatre of Dublin. He
has appeared in some thirty plays during
the past.ten years, and has directed many
notable stage productions.
. Elliot Cabot is a graduate of Harvard
and Cambridge, and a descendant of. the
John and Sebastian Cabot who followed
Columbus to the New World. He will
play the part of Henry Higgins. He will
be remembered for his work in the New
York production of Coquette.
Other players in the company are
Phyllis Connard, as Clara Hill; Winifred
Hanley, as Mrs. Hill; P. J, Kelly, a
member of many Hampden and Sothern
and Marlowe companies, as a Bystander;
Geoffrey Harwood, as Freddy Hill:
Percy Waram, as Colonel Pickering;
Maurice Wells, as another Bystander;
Edgar Kent, as The Sarcastic Bystander;
Ruby Hallier, as Mrs. Pearce; Jane
Wheatley, of Faversham's all-star cast
in Julius Caesar, as Mrs. Higgins, and
Margaret de Mille, daughter of William
de Mille, the screen director, as a Maid.
to
attack this idea and started by a con-
sideration of the underlying branches
of primitive religion�magic and anim-
ism, which are two different ways, of
dealing with mana Or that _ thrilling,
jnysterious, wonder-working, power
with its dynamic emotional connec-
tions, which makes things holy and
worth while. To the primitive, magic
was a mechanical device fof manipu-
lating mana. One fundamental inter-
pretation of magic is that it consists
of systematized, falacious thinking, or
the misapprehension of the association
of ideas. All over the world primitives
have imitated in a small way what
they want to happen, as in the case of
filling a shell to overflowing to induce
rain, or damaging an image of a per-
son in order to bring harm to that per-
son. This is known as mimetic magic.
Often ideas become associated througrf
. coincidence, and people are seen to
wear talismans to ward off danger.
Even orthodox anthropologists admit
that magic occasionally works, as in
. the case of the savage who had a taboo
of bananas, and died from eating from,
a bowl in which bananas had recently
been. This was explained- by psy-
chologists as suggestion, by which the
dynamic powers of the individual were
Coatfaae* e� Pace Three
de Laguna Studies Eskimos
Frederica de Laguna, European Fellow
of the class of 1928, returned on Monday
from her travels. During the past sum-
mer and fall Miss de Laguna has been
in Greenland, on an uninhabited island.
She and a Mr. Mathiassert, an expert on
Greenland archeology, have been excavat-
ing an ancient Eskimo kitchen-midden, in
the hope of being able to throw some
light On the troublesome problem of
Eskimo origins. Their efforts were re-
warded with finds of thousands of speci-
mens of ancient Eskimo culture.
The island upon which the kitchen-
midden is situated lies five hundred miles
within the Arctic Circle. The archeolo-
gists were able to live in tents during
the summer months; they wore Eskimo
clothing, and had an Eskimo family with
them. However, their work had to stop
when it became too cold for the land to
thaw for another year. Miss de Laguna
sailed for Greenland from Copenhagen
�on June first and returned there on No-
vember first.
Romanticism Defined
&y PrirfesKjHfects:
Spanish Romantic Movement Is
Freer But Shorter Than
the French.
NEVER PSEUDO-CLASSIC
Varsity Dramatics
Expresses Appreciation
On Friday and Saturday evenings of
this week the Varsity Players will pre-
sent in Goodhart Hall the two Old Eng-
lish miracle plays: "The Second Shep-
herd's Play" and "The Offering of the
Magi." The first of^hese is directed by
C. Rieser, '31, assisted by M. Drake', '31;
the second by E. Dyer, '31, assisted by
M. Drake, '31.
The Varsity Players wish to express
their thanks and appreciation for the in-
valuable assistance of the English Depart-
ment, especially Miss Donnelly. Miss
Gary, Mis* Garvin and Dr. Herben, and
for the services of Mr. Alwyne and*Mr.
Willoughby, of .the Mask Department,
in the training of the carol singers.
On Wednesday evening Professor E
Allison Peers spoke on French and
Spanish Romanticism in the Music room
of Goodhart Hall. Professor Peers is
Gilmour Professor of Spanish. at the
University of Liverpool and visiting pro-
fessor at Columbia University. *.
"Some months ago," began Professor
Peers, "a group of college students held
a debate on the question of what was the
most misunderstood word in the English
language. Some suggested the word so-
cialism, others mysticism, but finally the
vote of the majority decided upon the
word romanticism. Many people have no
conception of what the word means.
Others understand it only in a popular
sense, murmuring ,'how romantic' when
they see the moon upon the snow. And
there are still others who know the tech-
nical sense, but just in one particular
application.. Tonight. I want to begin
by considering roin#nrMsrn in general,'
then romanticism in France, and finally
romanticism in Spain.) ��
"You can arrive at the basic meaning
of romanticism by opposing it to clas-
sicism. The classicist with -firm self-
possession restrains his imagination in
obedience to classic form; the romanticist
gives his imagination full rein. So the
distinction between the two is. the dis-
tinction between freedom and restraint.
The romanticist objects to the classicist's
rules and the classicist objects to the
romanticist's disordertiness. With ro-
manticism we associate such things as
tombs, Gothic architecture, and melan-
choly. I wish to prove that those things
which we think of in connection with
romanticism come from the basic idea of
freedom and restraint.
A Definition of Romanticism
"Classicism is clear-cut, hard-edged;
romanticism has a literature (for to-
night we are limiting our study of ro-
manticism to literature) that is vague,
dreamy, and suggestive. Secondly,
classicism is objective and makes very
little mention of the individual; ro-
manticism is subjective, individual, and
personal. This is natural because a
person who is unrestrained in conver-
sation talks largely of himself. The
classicist,- on the other hand, restrains
himself and thus speaks mainly of
things without rather than those
within. From this individualism of
the romanticist springs the aspiration
for the unattainable and the vague,
generally dreamy speculation: where do
I come from and whither do I go?
From the subjectivism of the roman-
ticist arise certain degrees of melan-
choly or depression, the French 'mal
de siecle' which influences -Goethe to
describe romanticism as sickness and
classicism as health. Thirdly, classi-
cism fc? exclusive ~aiid selective; f<�
nianticism is inclusive. Since he has
been given an unlimited amount of
freedom the romanticist goes to all
ages, all times, all minds, all litera-
tures, and all countries for his sources.
He is cosmopolitan and for that rea-
son his literature is abundant and fer-
tile. The classicist finds what is com-
mon to all the countries of the world;
he is the universalist. The romantic
tourist buys picture postal cards of all
the places which he visits and carries
home an enormous amount of baggage;
the classicist tries to discover what
there is worth his notice in the people
of the countries in which he travels.
This may seem to be eulogizing the
classicist, but it is very easy to see
that the classicist may frequently fail
to preserve what is worth preserving,
while the romanticist, with all his bag-
gage, -has got it all.
"Now I hope that I have given you
an idea of romanticism as a background
for a talk on romanticism in two par-
ticular countries. If romanticism in
general is not understood Spanish ro-
(�mtinar* on Page Thrrr '
meeting
'�. There will-be a.meeting of the
Liberal Club on Sunday evening,
December the fifteenth. There will
be an outside speaker on some sub-
ject connected with socialism. His
name, add the hour of the meeting
will be announced later.
Miracle Play Origins
Told by Miss Carey
On Thursday, December 5, Miss Carey
spoke in chapel on the background of
the fourteenth century Christmas plays
which are to be presented by Varsity
Players. "The plays chosen by any stu-
dent body in some sort reflect, I suppose,
the temper of that body. So it is that
the socially-minded college to which I be-
longed gave Shaw, the post war Bryn
Mawr was interested in Ibsen, and the
present generation gives light comedy of
manners, like Bellairs and The Admirable.
Crichton. m.
"What has determined the present plan
of the Varsity Players to turn back to
the Middle Ages I do not know. One
rumor has it that last spring Princeton
suggested the suitability of the pro-
scenium arch invCoodhart to a medieval
play. And certainly the Gothic quality
�aV-tkis. building, leads itself delightfully
to such an idea. But on whatever reason
may rest the decision of the Varsity
Players, the fact remains that the college
is to have the rather unique opportunity
of seeing revived two fourteenth century
Christmas plays which are to be pre-
sented, I understand, as nearly as pos-
sible as they were in their own time.
"Interesting as these plays are in them-
selves one's pleasure cannot but be in-
creased by knowing something about their
background.- And so perhaps you will
forgive me for attempting the impossible,
by trying in two separate chapel peri-
ods to sjcetch in some of this back-
ground. The subject is so tremendous
that it must inevitably be limited, first
to a few general remarks about the
medieval drama, and second, to a dis-
cussion of English Shepherd Plays.
"Most of you know probably that some
time after the .demise of the Roman the-
atre under the influence of Christianity,,
the drama was reborn in the liturgy"of
the Church. Perhaps you do not know
how amusing and human are both its ori->
gins and development. Picture a group
of spirited monks in the monastery of
St. Gall in Switzerland, famous for its
beautiful music. Remember that into the
church of the Middle Ages were prone
to go all thoughtful men, most men of
intellect, sensitiveness, and imagination.
Fancy that a very gifted monk is prac-
ticing the choral portions of. the liturgy
and lets slip into the part he is singing
elaborations, at first slight and then ex-
tensive. Combine these elaborations with
the fact that pageantry is innate in the
Catholic service and you have the origin
of the whole story. Beginning with a
simple question and answer^ known as the
quern quaeritis, in the Easter and Christ-
mas service the liturgy expands tos admit
a dramatic representation of various Bible
stories. The gap is filled between Christ-
mas and Easter in Christ's life; the Old
Testament stories are developed logi-
cally backwards, through dramatizing
the loves of the Old Testament
prophets who foretell Christ's birth.
"So arises the liturgical drama�acted
in the Church by priests and choir boys
in their clerical robes. The tone is
solemn, the Latin words follow those of
the Vulgate," the purpose is purely re-
ligious. Then something begins to hap-
pen. A monk here and there with a
humorous bent sees possibilities itfeertain
Summer School
at Deanery
Five Speakers Tell of Work in
AH of Its As-
peers.
MISS THOMAS FOUNDER
The Summer School reception was
held at the Deanery Sunday' evening,
December 8, through the courtesy of
President Emeritus, Miss M. Carey
Thomas.
Miss Thomas welcomed the under-
graduates to the Deanery, and intro-
duced the Chairman of the Summer
School Committee of the Bryn Mawr
League, Miss Angelyn Burrows. "I
am sure," Miss Burrows said,, "that
everyone gives thanks to President
Thomas, who has made possible this f�
reception at the Deanery; very few
students know what the Summer
School really means, and I think that
tonight we will hear all sides of the
question." Miss Burrows presented
Miss Hilda Smith, Director of the
Summer School.
stories. An ointment seller is introduced
into the Easter service; the part of Herod
is expanded in the Christmas play. One
can take any liberties at all with his
part for he is a foul fiend who pursued
and persecuted the infant Christ. So his
words become even in the Latin liturgical
plays left to us ranting and pompous.
They can slip over very easily into the
absurd burlesque which we find in all
the. English Herod plays.
You will remember that as the plays
grow longer and more humorous ^hey
move from the choir of- th� ^G�tbi<|dral into
CattaM aa FM*inrir�
Summer School Director Speaks
Miss Smith opened her address by
saying that of the many meetings re-
garding the Summer School held all
over the United States and Europe, the
meeting here on the Bryn Mawr
campus is the most significant, for the
people most concerned with the Sum-
mer School are the "winter studenta."
It is an experiment in education at our
own doors. This year is the tenth an-
niversary year of the Summer School;
in 1921 President Thomas came back
from a trip to the East and proposed
that the College .buildings should be
used in summer for factory workers.
The results of that idea concern a
group in society that has little oppor-
tunity for education; many have gone
to work very young, and it is diffi-
cult for factory workers to study
after the day's work; many have strug-
gled through night-school only to find
the schooling not adapted to their
needs. In the middle of June one hun-
dred industrial workers gather from
all over on the Bryn Mawr campus; a
small group come from Europe and
add a real international element to the
mixture. Last year fifteen nationalities
were represented, and twenty-five dif-
ferent trades. Many~ make a great
sacrifice and meet great opposition in
daring to think of going' to Bryn
Mawr; friends cannot discourage them
even though," in addition to losing
wages, the girl risks losing her job.
"I wish you could meet some of the
students"; there are different types
and they have a variety of interests;
hardly two people agree on anything,
and "tolerance sizzles on the campus.1'
The course is eight weeks in length;
the students are required to take Eco-
nomics and English, and there is the
choice of a course in Psychology, His-
tory or Science; the class in Appre-
ciation of MusicJs-eagerly sought. The
curriculum is planned to give each
student a better understanding of in-
dustrial problems; factory workers do
not comprehend what is happening to
them in their industries, and Econom-
ics gives them an actual understanding
that/is the most valued gain; from
English they secure power of expres-
sion in writing and in speaking, and
they feel that they have more to give
to their fellow workers; the other sub-
jects are all definitely related to the
need of the industrial worker.
It is hard to interest them in the
recreational program, for they want to
study all the time: that eagerness
means a "unique spirit" in the school;
however, there are the school tradi-
tions�the Trade Party/and the Inter-
national Festival�a* well as'fhe vari-
ous sports. - -
The results oi the school are difficult
to trace, but it has been tried hi the lives
and doings of the former students; one
letter said: "A world of knowledge has
opened its door to me: I intend to do
what I can to try and solve the great
problem of industry: my mind is like day
Caatlaaed �>� Patf* F*ar
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